Did you know?

A common misunderstanding is that the Leakey Foundation is a family foundation supporting and funding the research efforts of the Leakey family. In fact, the Leakey Foundation is an autonomous body, and it does not fund the Leakeys’ ongoing work in the Turkana Basin although it does occasionally facilitate the handling of donations and contributions specifically earmarked for this research project.

The LSB Leakey Foundation as it was originally called, promotes scientific discovery through small competitive grants in fields that promote the late Louis Leakey’s life long interests in living primates and prehistory. The Leakeys’ research at Lake Turkana has for many decades relied on the support of the National Geographic Society, but we also depend heavily on supplemental private donations from generous benefactors.

• Help support our exciting, ongoing human origins research.

Richard and Meave Leakey in the field, ca. 1980s